Cub in the Horizon
by trista dark
Summary: A medieval setting where two friends, a butcher's son and a farmers daughter, share a cute and small but heartwarming story!


The sun peers out behind the horizon and into the girls dreaming eyes. In her dream a bear was off in the distance, warm comfort. Cold mist then rolled out behind her and flooded between the trees in this thick forest. Chills ran up her spine as the thin long dress did not retain much heat. Suddenly, a beam of light came ripping through the mist, the skies, and she felt her vision haze.

Eyes quickly open as she looks to the morning orange sky, not a cloud up high. Reflecting on her dream she thinks back on how though there were a bear in the distance, she wasn't scared of any major consequences, if anything interested in the creature. Once the eyes of this small madden adjusted to the new lighting she readjusted herself at the base of the tree she were sitting at.

'Oh, if mother knew i was out...' the girl giggled, making the first noise since she's risen. Soon followed a shuffle coming from beside her, and the hot breath of a large creature exhaled on the side of her face. Her eyes this time snapped open and looking in her peripheral she could see the large black snout, large tongue reached out and licked her cheek. Her whole body threw itself away, this time she felt the fear. Though in her dream, (or what she thought was a dream) the bear was still calm. The dark furred beast started to rub its back against the tree, standing taller, and as it did, a cub revealed.

Peasant shoes treaded across the dirt floor of the forest, her body moved quickly, adrenaline pumping her veins with energy, energy that she didn't know she had. Daring not to look back she kept running, and she knew the forest well, finding her way back home wouldn't be an issue, and as she had that thought the farmhouse was visible in the distance. Dark brown roof that look comforting with the seeping orange/blue sky, outside her mother, weeping, and running to the girl once she caught a glimpse of her yelling her daughter's name as if she had lost her "Madison!". Once inside her mother had told her about the below freezing temperatures which had occurred while she was gone, which was strange, because she felt warm in her slumber, until the mist came. Loud footsteps of heavy boots beat down on that weak wooded porch, the girl felt her heart drop and she knew that father must of heard mother crying, which meant trouble for her.

Maddison was a free spirit, which no matter the consequence, she would go and explore the forest, drawing the creatures within it. She would sneak out so often that her parents would take away her coat, so she would be too cold to go out, but that didn't stop her. From her mischevious acts yesterday, she was now being punished, kept in the house and not allowed to venture off to the market with mother, which was one of her favourite activities. She mostly fancied it because the butcher's son would give her flowers, and baked goods that he would get from his aunt's. The very odd time she was allowed to play with this boy; Dante she would show him her drawings, go swimming in the nearby creek, or go sneak into barns to pet the animals. He also was a bit of a trouble child, though his parent were a bit tougher on him, his father leaving bruises while she'd get the odd spank.

Grabbing one of her mother's coats which were obviously too big, sleeves past her fingers and it fit her like a dress, but at least it would keep her warm while she got out. thankfully it only took 20 minutes to get into town, that's 40 minutes of walking and with… she shuck her head, "no more than an hour,they won't even realize i'm gone~ " she took a shortcut through the forest so it wouldn't take as long, making her way to the butcher shop, mother shouldn't be there it was tuesday and she went for groceries on Sunday's.

The shop was right next to the outskirts of town, and the forests peek. Approaching the outside of the store took courage to do alone, you didn't see many young folk just walking around unattended, and the few that did had new dresses with shoes that shined. shaking her head she got back to reality, she dazed off quite a lot. Noticing that Dante was coming outside, a look of shame on his face, his father followed with a small black cub, he was holding the cub, by the legs…

The cub still moved, still had the breath of life on its side, but weak. Small thing struggled to get enough energy to fight back and hung, noises that came from it were small and pathetic. The high squeaking cry make the hairs stand up on Madison's neck and gave her sick feeling in her stomach. Ignorant voice talked over this weap "Damn thing came in again! this time you're 'taking care' of it!" The boy nodded, thinking how stupid the bear was for coming back, after last time they had spared him, though... he was only little… conflicted emotions grabbed a straw sack.

the boy's hands opened the bag, grabbing a knife, and looking to me. He simply muttered "Put him in." and the father demanded that he watch him kill it as he placed the cub into the material sac. Once the creature was inside so did the knife slip to follow, Dante watched as the girl's face turned from sorrow to petrified. Blood, Dante flinched, his breathing turning heavy as the red steeped through the sac, and all movement inside stopped.

Dante keeping both his hand and the knife in the bag "I'll go dispose of this..." he once again muttered, sneaking off to the back of their shop, where meat was sliced.

This girl was in shock, her only friend to do something like that? she was sick… But feet still made her follow,was it curiosity? It was strange, after everything Dante was walking into the forest from where she had came minutes before, was he simply going to waste the meat after everything? maybe to give a nice burial? feet still moving, and when the boy got to a nice clearing he set the sac on the ground, staring at the river that they once played in. Just a bit closer she thought, footsteps lead her directly behind him. "Dante..?" The small boy looked back to her, knowing that she had been behind him, and as he did opened the bloody bag, and ear visible. "You can keep a secret?" without thinking her head nodded in response, and as she did the impure knife came out from within.

Small movement came from the bag once it lie on the ground, the ear which was sticking out twitched. Everything was confusing to the girl, why would it be… the boy opened the palm of his hand taking off the butcher knife, a large messy incision had been made in his own hand, and the blood still flowing, the wound still fresh. An itty bitty head popped out from the straw imprisonment, his fur fuzzy, and soft looking, it shook its head feeling the wet trickle that was once streaming down. Both children were so amused by this… thing. staring deeply into what she thought lifeless, and now a small bundle of life, cherished by the two of them.


End file.
